Science Education Status and Challenges in A Tertiary Institution, Port Harcourt
- Professor Innime Righteous1 & Dr. Madume, Ingrid Omenihu2
- DOI: https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.20152695
- UKR Journal of Education and Literature (UKRJEL)
This research focused on Science Education status and challenges in a tertiary institution, Port Harcourt. The study determined prevailing Science Education status, identified challenges against adequate Science Education facilities, evaluated any prevention and control measures to checkmate the challenges facing Science Education services and endeavoured to compare past and present perceived Science Education status in the tertiary Education institution. A descriptive research design was adopted. The population for the study was 869 and a sample size of 383 drawn out as its 44.07%. The major instrument for data collection was a well-structured and validated questionnaire with reliability index of 0.99. Observation with checklist was an added instrument for primary data collection. A multi-stage sampling procedure was applied in this study. The data obtained were tallied, summarized, coded and presented in frequency Tables and analysed using percentage. Findings on current Science Education status included deteriorating state of students’ hostels (82.40%), delayed removal of heaped refuse (78.67%), prolonged blockage of drainage channels (76.80%), crowded office accommodation for staff (84.53%), worsening state of staff offices and class-rooms (79.73%), non-regular maintenance of offices and class-rooms, e.g. rare cleaning of the few functioning fans (80.27%), non-conducive offices and class-rooms especially due to unreliable electric power supply (91.47%), and irregular water supply to all parts of students’ hostels and many staff offices (97.87%). The above findings pose a great challenge to optimum Science Education besides inadequate environmental sanitation exercises (95.20%), poor flood control (96.00%), little or no funding of the institution of learning by the authority concerned (76.27%) and inadequate government provision of modern equipment to the schools and demonstration clinic (85.07%). The study also revealed on-going control and prevention on issues militating against adequate Science Education services to comprise ensuring improved waste management (54.40%), opening alternative drainage channels (77.87%), maintaining good sanitary status of the operating public convenience (63.20%), engaging in regular grass cutting to avoid biological hazards (71.73%), and encouraging students’ participation in Education care (69.87%). There was clear difference in Science Education status in the institution between 2015 and 2021, p>0.05 with the former standard being high. Therefore, it was recommended that the management of the institution should regularly clear the main drainage channel linking it to larger gutter at its end, engage on constant surveying to discover water-logged areas and act accordingly, embark on quick removal of solid wastes, employ more qualified personnel at the demonstration clinic and vigorously pursue attracting funding to the institution along with providing improved Science Education services for its workers.
Keywords: Science Education status, Science Education services, campus scenery, water-logged sites and flooding.

